Outside shoulder-pressing machine for garments and the like



Nov. 18, 1952 c. G. WESTWOOD 2,618,084

OUTSIDE SHOULDER-PRESSING MACHINE 7 FOR GARMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed July 26, 1947 2 $HEETS-SHEET 1 I INVENTOR. Colvva'on G. Wesiwood A Ziorrz e ys 1952 c. G. WESTWOOD 2,61 84 OUTSIDE SHOULDER-PRESSING MACHINE FOR GARMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed July 26. 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 JNVENTOR. Carrz'dorz 6. Wesiwaod A ilor/zeys Patented Nov. 18, 1952 OUTSIDE SHOULDER-PRESSING MACHINE FOR GARMENTS AND THE LIKE Carridon G. Westwood, South Bend, Ind., assignor to G. H. Bishop Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 26, 1947, Serial N 0. 763,87 9

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in garment pressing machines and particularly to outside shoulder-pressing machines for use mainly in'garment-pressing establishments, as an adjunct to the regular machines there employed, for pressing those spots or places in garments, particularly th shoulders, which cannot be or are not satisfactorily pressed in the regular large machines and require the addition of hand ironing to complete the job, which is slow and expensive, or the use of inside steam pufiers which, pressing from the inside of the garment, may not impart the same exterior finish to the material as over the remainder of the garment and are therefore unsatisfactory.

' It is an object of this invention to provide a presser for the shoulders or the like which presses the material from the outside by a heated upper head pressing directly against the material on a suitable lower buck over which the garment is laid.

Further objects are, severally, in pressing machines, to provide a heated head adapted to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the buck, whereby the pressure at all times is exerted evenly and simultaneously over the area of the buck, and the heat and steam due to pressing the head and buck together is not shot out as a blast into the face of the operator; to provide a variablestroke heated head, the stroke of which is under iv manual control of the operator; to provide a head, the amount and time of pressure of which on the garment on the buck is under manual control; to provide a long-stroke normally raised head under manual control whereby when change of garment is to be effected or a garmentis first to be applied to the buck or the machine is temporarily not being used, the heated head is raised and out of the way of the garment 01' the hands of the operator; to provide a long-stroke fluid pressure cylinder, preferably hydraulically operated by a foot pedal, the piston ofwhich cylinder carries the head, preferably heated electrically, and which is spring-returned, whereby the head may be operated in short or long strokes, fast or slow strokes, single or repeated pressing strokes, and with light or heavy pressure on the garment by the head, and to provide a simple, inexpensive, portable and manually operated machine which fills the gaps in the usual production lines of machines for pressing and may be readily added thereto and placed in any convenient or available location with respect to the machines already installed or to be installed, whereby the garments may be completely and satisfactorily pressed by production line methods without the interposition or addi-' tion of hand or puffer pressing.

Another object is to provide a garment-pressing machine with a plurality of bucks and a single head.

Another object is to provide a pressing machine having a rotating table and a plurality of bucks thereon which are adapted to be brought under the pressing head means by the rotation of the table.

Another object is to provide a pressing machine with a plurality of bucks of variable sizewhich singly may be brought into register with the head as desired for pressing particular spots or places in the garments that are otherwise dificult to press on a machine.

Still further objects and advantages will appear from the, description and claims to follow,

in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein two forms of the invention are shown,-

I plurality of bucks thereon, the bucks being adapted to be brought under the presser head by the rotation of the table;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 55 of Fig. 4, showing a plan view of the table and bucks.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the head with a snapon grid plate applied thereto; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged-scale corner section of the same.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the machine here shown includes a metal pipe standard It] attached to a suitable metal base II. The upper end of the standard It] is bent over, as at I2, with a welded brace across the bend, to provide a support for a long vertical metal preferably hydraulic cylinder l3, and preferably of brass and of relatively small diameter, the same being secured to the pipe by a clamping strap or member is attached by screws or bolts to a fiat back member I5 preferably welded to the end of th pipe I2, which clamp provides for adjustment vertically of the cylinder IS.

The cylinder I3 is provided with a piston [6 preferably fitting the same throughout its length,

with a suitable packing washer disc H on the upper end thereof whereby leakage of the operating liquid from above and past the piston is substantially prevented. The upper pressing head l8, which co-operates with the lower stationary buck I9 of the presser in pressing the garments is rigidly mounted on the lower end of the piston is which projects from th lower end of cylinder l3 and is operated thereby for; pressing. The piston l6 and head [8 are springreturned to their uppermost position, preferably by long coil springs 20, one on each side of and outside the cylinder, their upper ends being secured to stationary pins 2| secured to the collar 22 which in turn is secured by set screws to the upper end of cylinder [3, as indicated. The lower ends of these springs 20 are secured to the projecting ends of a cross pin 23 through the lower end of piston l6 slightly above the head l8. This pin23: serves also as a stop to the upward move-- ment of the piston and head by engaging the lower end of cylinder 13.

Several beneficial results are obtained from this outside arrangement of the springs. The stroke of the piston is relatively long. Not only must the. iston and head be lifted and returned quickly; but the liquid transmissionin the system must be returned to the base of the machine and the piston of the power cylinder and operating pedal there, to be described, must be raised after each downward stroke of the piston. Thus, considerable effort throughout a comparatively long range must, be exertedby the springs. By using. two springs on opposite sides of the piston, the pull is balanced and lesslateral. pressure on the piston develops. Besides, by using two springs, a safety measure is provided, since if one breaks, as. springs are apt to do, the. other is strong enough. to return the piston and head and the garment. is not burned'or injured by the failure of the head to lift. Also, since they are simple coil springs, if one breaks, almost any substitute spring can be supplied or improvised for temporary use until. a proper one can be. obtained.

Again, by using the two springs as shown, the head l8 can be kept in rotative alignment with the buck below, as it must be to work properly, since they are both oblong in. form (see Figs. 1 and 2) and transversely curved slightly on their meeting or cooperating pressing surfaces. The rotation of the head twiststhe planev of the two springs. This is resisted by the springs, and accordingly the head is turned back to its aligned position before being brought down to the buck I9. grooving of the piston, an added expense and otherwise objectionable, and a set screw through the cylinder to preserve alignment of the head with the buck. The ability of the head to turn axially saves trouble in case a garment or something catches on an end thereof or accidentally strikes the same laterally. Also, such springs are readily made or obtainable and at relatively small expense, and require no machining to fit them for the work.

This head [8 is electrically heated, preferably by suitable electrical heating elements embedded or placed therein similar to that of flat irons and other similar parts which are well known to the art and therefore not shown, and may be connected in circuit with a source of power, such as the lighting or power circuit of the plant where the machine is used, by the conductor cable 24 and suitable switch plug 25, the cable being shown loosely coiled above the head to provide for the This arrangement renders unnecessary the.

4 movement of the head and extending through the pipe l2 and standard ID to the base below. where it may be supplied with a, suitable connecting plug or other means for connecting it to the power circuit.

The lower presser head 1-9 or buck is secured by stem and set screw, as indicated; and. may be vertically adjusted in the upper vertical end of pipe 26, which curves below to the standard and is secured to a sleeve 21 thereon which is adjustably held thereto, as by a set screw as indicated; A substantially square sheet-metal table 28, with its inner edge 29 turned up to prevent contact of garments with the standard H! and with its forward edge 30 turned down to provide a curved edge for overhanging garments or the like, is provided, the standard 26 passing therethrough. Angle iron bars 3| and 32 may extend the full width thereacross and a diagonal brace 33 be fitted therein. All these parts may be welded together at their contact points and to. the sleeve 21 to provide a rigid support and bracket construction for the buck 13' and table- 28' on the standard Hi. The buck 19 receives the impacts from the head l8 and is rigidly supported therefor.

The upper end of the fluid pressure cylinder It is fitted with a coupling!!! and an elbow" 35 con-- necting it to a tube 36, which may be of copper and. suihciently' bendable to permit of some vertical adjustment of'the cylinder I3 should itbe desired after assembly. This tube leads. down through the hollow standard l0 and is suitably connected to the fluid pressure supply, which this instance is preferably anupright cylinder 31' rigidly located on the; base I l of the-machine and having a suitable piston therein and a piston: rod or stem 38 projecting upwardly therefromwhich is operatively engaged by a foot pedal, 39. The piston I6 of cylinder [-3 is given a full downwardstroke with a single depression of the pedal. and remains so while pedal is depressed. On release of the pedal, the head returns to the rest position.

The base construction may comprise the. metal base plate H to which a short section 40 of" pipe is welded, an angle web brace 41 being welded ts both. A coupling 42 is threaded onto the upper end of this pipe 40 and the lower end of standard: pipe- 36 is threaded thereinto. Lugs 43 project from this coupling and the foot. pedal. is pivoted thereto as a fulcrum. Suitablebraces: M may exetend from the base H to a point up along the pipe Hi and welded or otherwise secured. inv place.

The head it and buck [91' for the usual shoulder-pressing are of suitable metal of the same size and shape, oblong, slightly narrower; at one end than the other, something likeaflat iron, with both ends rounded. They" may be about five inches wide in the widest part and about eight inches long. They are usually slightly curved transversely on their pressing surfaces, the buck having the convex surface andthe head the concave surface. The upper head may have a suitable grid plate on its pressing. surface to act as a buffing agent to distribute the heat to prevent deterioration of synthetic materials in being pressed. The lower buck. may be padded to give a cushion between head andbuck. Such a cushion as usual may consist of a cloth covering with a, resilient metal pad or. cotton or the like underneath it. The top of the head i8: may be slightly dished (see dotted line 45-) or have a slightly raised peripheral rim to catchany oil or pressure fluid that may seep from the cylinder 13 to prevent it reaching the garment...

pipe .36 and into cylinder l3.

A grid plate is a thin metal sheet 10, Figs. 6 and 7, adapted to cover the pressing surface of the headand having fine perforations 'II punched therein close together over the entire surface. The punching protuberances on the inside slightly space the grid from the head. This grid is detachably held to the head by the spring edge 12 or otherwise to make it a snap-0n device. This grid prevents direct contact of the ironing head surface with the garment being pressed.

or operation, the garment is draped over the buck IS with the buck pushed up inside the shoulder to be pressed. The pedal 39 is then depressed by the foot of the operator standing in frontof the machine. This depresses the stem of the cylinder 31, a suitable wear plate 46 of ample area being secured to the lower edge of thepedal lever, and its piston forces the transmission liquid from the cylinder up through the This forces the head, which as explained is properly heated electrically, down on the outside of the garment by a right-line face-to-face movement of the head perpendicularly toward the buck. By this movement of the head the heat and steam, if any, from E the pressing operation is dispersed all around and not gathered together and shot out as a blast into the face of the operator, and the finish due to the pressing is imparted to the outside of the garment over the pressed spots the same as over the rest of the garment.

In such pressing, the head moves practically in synchronism with the pedal, owing to the spring return by the springs 20, and is in full control of the operator.

in placing or materially adjusting the garment on the buck and in its removal therefrom. If repeated pressing impacts are needed in the same or adjacently adjusted spots on the garment, the head may not be raised to the full extent but short, quick strokes may be given the head by correspondingly operating the pedal. So, too, the head may be pressed on the garment and back for as long as desired by continuing to press on thepedal, and the amount of pressure is similarly controlled for light or heavy pressure impacts. Thus, the shoulders or other spots of the garment not reached and suitably pressed by the usual large presses may be quickly and readily pressed on this machine conformably in quality and ap-- pearance to the remainder of the garment.

If, the garments have places or spots that havent been pressed or suitably pressed on the large presses and cannot satisfactorily be reached by the shoulder buck IS on the inside or where thegarments are too small for such operation,v

form, down to the smaller sizes 52 and 53, as

shown in Fig. 5. There are preferably three such bucks on the table located at 120 apart around the pipe I0 as a center.

These bucks are mounted as before on the upper ends of pipes 54 at the desired elevation I above the table, the pipes passing down through thetable 50, to which they may be welded, and with their lower parts 55 bent slantingly inward At the start the heated head is raised up out of the way of the operators hands toward the standard l0 to serve as braces for the bucks and table and where they are preferably foot pedal.

6 welded to the lower part of sleeve 56 which closely surrounds the standard H), but is rotatable thereon, the upper end of this sleeve being likewise welded to the table 50. This sleeve is vertically supported on the standard by a short sleeve or collar 51 secured, as by a set screw bolt, to the standard I0 and therefore capable of vertical adjustment thereon. The lower end of sleeve 56 has secured thereto, as by welding, a bearing washer 58, and the collar 51 is similarly equipped at the upper end with a washer 59. These washers form the bearings between the sleeve 50,

with its table and parts attached, and the collar 51, whereby the table may be manually turned to bring any of the bucks 5|, 52 or 53 under the heated head I8 of the machine. These washers 58 and 59 provide means for readily registering the bucks under the head. To this end, the washers are provided with radial V-indentations 60, as indicated in Fig. 4, at 120 apart and located to register when one of the bucks is in proper operative position beneath the head.

The upper surfaces of the bucks 5| to 53 are to accomplish the desired pressing operation, the

operator may readily turn the table by grasping or pressing it along the edge or otherwise to bring the desired buck into position beneath the head, the co-operating grooves 60 in the washers 58 and 59 insuring proper registration or indexing thereof. Otherwise the operation is the same as set forth for the first form described and need not be repeated here.

It will be understood that, while the hydraulic operation is shown and described for both forms, a suitable oil being preferred for the liquid, the same may be readily operated by a gaseous me-' dium, such as compressed air, with which most plants are supplied, by connecting the tube 36 with the compressed air supply and substituting a suitable three-way or other valve means for the cylinder 31 and controlling the same by the various features of the invention are of moregeneral application and may be used with larger presses, heads and bucks.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist of the invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service, without eliminating certain features which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A garment-pressing machine comprising a buck and a cooperating head, a fluid-pressure cylinder, a rotatably disposed piston for said cylinder and carrying said head in working alignment with said buck, control means for said fluids pressure cylinder, and coiled springs on opposite sides of said cylinder, said springs being connected at one end adjacent the upper end of said cylinder and at the other end to said piston, said springs being tensioned to return said piston into said cylinder when the fluid pressure therein is,

Also, while machines with shoulder and similar small heads and bucks are shown,

7 relaxed a'ndto rotate the same into proper working alignment if said head becomes rotatively displaced.

2. A garment-pressing machine comprising a vertical hollow standard, a base for said standard, a bracket on said standard, a buck supported by said bracket, a head disposed in operating relation above said buck, a cylinder and a piston for workably supporting said head over said buck, the upper end of said standard being extended laterally to carry said cylinder and said piston, a pedaloperated fluid valve on said base, a connection leading from said valve to said cylinder through said hollow standard, said valve and connection and cylinder comprising a fluid system to operate said piston when said valve is actuated, and spring means. for efl'ecting the return stroke of said piston and the return of said head to raised position after a pressing operation.

3. A garment-pressing machine comprising a vertical standard, a base fl said standard, a bracket on said standard, a buck supported by said bracket, a head disposed. in operating relation above said buck, acylinder and a piston for workably supporting said head over said buck, an extension on the upper portion of said standard to carry said cylinder and said piston, a fluid valve on said base, a fluid connection leading from said valve to said cylinder and said piston to operate said piston when said valve is actuated and to move said head toward said buck, and spring means for efiecting the return stroke of said piston and the return of said head to raised position after a pressing operation.

4.. A garment-pressing machine comprising a vertical standard, a base for said standard, a bracket on. said standard, a buck supported by said bracket, a table mounted on said bracket adjacent said buck, a head disposed in operating relation above said buck, a cylinder and a piston forworkably supporting said head over said buck, an extension on the upper portion of said standard to carry said cylinder and said piston, a valve, a fluid connection leading from said valve to said cylinder and said piston tooperate said piston when said valve is actuated and to move said head toward said buck, and means for effecting a return stroke of. said piston and the return of said; head. to raised position after a pressing operation.

A garment-pressing machine comprising a vertical standard, a base for said standard, a bracket on said standard, a buck supported by said bracket, a head disposed in operating relation. above said buck, a cylinder and a piston for Workably supporting said head over said buck, said piston being axially and revolvably movable in said cylinder, an extension on the upper portion, of said standard to rigidly carry said cylinder, a valve, a fluid connection leading from said valve to-said cylinder and to said piston to operate said piston when said valve is actuated and to move said head toward said buck, and spring means for effecting a return stroke of said piston andthe return of said head to raised position after a pressing operation, said springs being on opposite sides of said cylinder and said piston and connecting atone of the ends to said cylinderand at the other end to said piston.

6. A garment-pressing machine comprising a vertical standard, a base for said standard, a bracket on said standard, a buck supported by saidbracket, a swi'velly supported head in work'- ing alignment with said buck, and means for carrying said'head' including an extension on said standard, a'cylinder substantially rigidly'carried by said extension, a piston revolvably and axially '7. A garment presser of the class described,

comprising a frame structure, a horizontal buck on said frame structure, a heated head disposed in operating relation above. said buck,.a fluid pressure cylinder also carried by said framestructure, a relatively long-stroke piston in said cylin der carrying said head, a source of fluid pressure to operate said piston in said cylinder to effect a pressing operation, means returning said head when the pressure is relaxed in said cylinder, andpressure control means for controlling the pressure in said cylinder to operate said head at will in long or short strokes against said buck, said frame structure mounting said cylinder and head in widely spaced relation from said buck.

8. A garment presser of the class described comprising a frame structure, a horizontal buck carried by said frame structure, a heatedhead.

disposed in operating relation above said buck,

a fluid pressure cylinder also carried by said frame structure, a piston in said cylinder carrying said head, a source of fluid pressure to operate said piston in said cylinder to force said head against said buck to effect a pressing operation;

means to raise. the head when the pressure is relaxed in the cylinder, and control means for controlling the pressure in said cylinder to variably" operate the. head inv light or heavy pressure strokes against said buck.

9. A garment presser of: the class described, comprising a horizontal buck of a size for insertion inside the shoulder of an. upper body garment or the like, a heated presser head of corresponding size disposed in operating relation above said. buck, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a source of fluid. pressure to operate said piston in said cylinder, said head being con-v nected to said piston, said head being forced down against said. buck when pressure is applied to the fluid in said. cylinder, spring meansv to raise the head when the pressure. in said. cylinder is. relaxed, the. upper rest position of said head" being substantially spaced above said buck, and pedal-operated. control means for said source of fluid pressure to eiiect a. variable pressing stroke. according to the movement of said pedal means. and the pressure transmitted. by said source of fluid pressure.

10. A garment presser of. the class described, comprising a base and a standard thereon, the upper end of the standard. extending laterally, a. cylinder carried by said. extended end of the standard, a piston for said cylinder, a heated. presser head of relatively small size carried. by. said piston, a horizontal table rotatably mount-- ed on said standard, a plurality of bucks on said table of different sizes adaptedto be inserted inside the shoulders of other garment parts to be pressed, the. said bucks being spaced apart on said table. and in position to be brought axially and severally beneath said head by rotation ofsaid table, indexing means to. definitely locate said bucks under said head in therotation of said table, a pedal control means for controlling the pressure in said cylinder to operate said head in short or long strokes suitably to press the garment on said buck, and means to return the head in raised position when the pressure is relaxed by said pressure control means.

11. A garment presser of the class described having puiTer-sized buck and cooperating pressing head, including a base, a standard carried by said base, the upper end of said standard extending laterally, a long vertical hydraulic cylinder adjustably fixed to said laterally extending end, a piston in said cylinder, said pressing head being carried at the lower end of said piston, said pressing buck being vertically disposed below said head, a bracket adjustably secured to said standard and rigidly supporting said buck in axial alignment with said head and cylinder, at pedal-operated hydraulic pressure-producing means on said base, a pressure connection therefrom through said standard and connecting with the upper end of said pressing cylinder whereby said head may be operated against said buck with a variable stroke or pressure, the rest position of said head at the top of its stroke being substantially separated from said buck, and

10 springs adjacent opposite sides of the cylinder extending therealong and connecting to said cylinder at their upper ends and to said piston below said cylinder at their lower ends, said springs raising the said piston in the cylinder when the hydraulic pressure is relaxed and rotatively aligning said head with said buck.

CARRIDON G. WESTWOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

